With the East India Company, not only the British but the Irish and Scots made India and more specifically Calcutta their home. In the 19th century Calcutta’s major business houses – Andrew Yule, Gillanders Arbuthnot, Martin Burn. Trade, the institutions of law, education and politics have all been significantly shaped by the Scots who contributed hugely in these areas. Alexander Duff with Raja Ram Mohun Roy, set up the Scottish Church College. , David Hare was instrumental in founding the Hare School, the Hindu College (now Presidency University), the School Book Society and also a society for women’s education. Lord Minto, Lord Dalhousie are famous administrators both of Scottish origins.

A nippy winter evening, a beautiful terrace garden, sipping excellent tea we chatted with Lord Bruce.  The owner of a castle in Scotland, he loves art and heritage and possesses many valuable works of art including Cezannes, Greek sculpture even an incredible treasured collection of 50 sets of scrolls (writing with paintings) from various regions of India. He took us down memory lane and regaled us with anecdotes of the Scots who lived here.

Of the many graves in the Scottish Cemetery, some belong to his ancestors. Ten years ago, overgrown bushes and squatters concealed almost all the tombstones. The Kolkata Scottish Cemetery Trust was formed and they have since then cleared the accumulated debris, restored the graves and refurbished the grounds. The neighbourhood is important in any restoration process. The sullen, illegal, displaced inhabitants were won over by Community outreach programmes. A necropolis has been converted to a space for the living where the past is also remembered. It has been repurposed and made relevant to the people, social projects have integrated the community by providing jobs for maintenance of the cemetery, making the locals aware of environment protection, planting trees and sharing the importance of maintaining an ecological balance.

Initiating a worldwide connect with the cemetery, Lord Bruce garnered funds from descendants of persons having served in India. A register of almost 4000 persons who came to Calcutta to work in the thriving industry, even jute mills along the Hooghly. He has managed successfully to resurrect a valuable vestige of history languishing and almost eradicated from the annals of archival history.

Back home the work on his home has been completed after almost 300 years. A lucky break when he managed to auction a Greek king’s bust for a sizable fortune, the money used to complete the restoration of the castle.

The repairing project, maintaining authenticity was not easy and he started a training college to research and manufacture or procure the materials necessary for restructuring the broken parts of the castle. The Scottish Govt has allowed him tax deductions for the costs incurred which has enabled him to complete his family’s journey to restore their home to its original glory.

He now conducts experiential art tours to share with those interested, the rich collection of art, sculpture, textiles collected by his family so that the world can enjoy what had been locked in the vaults of a remote stone mansion in a glen of the Scottish Highlands.